Plant City : Florida
Living a College Town Lifestyle in Plant City, Florida
Plant City, Florida, located in the middle of Florida's west coast, has a population of just over 36,000 (2013 census). Although the area surrounding Plant City is a tapestry of citrus groves, strawberry fields, and nursery farms, the town is not named for all of its flora, but rather for Henry B. Plant, a developer, who brought the railroad here in 1884, and significantly boosted the economy of what was then a farmland community named Cork. A year later when the town became incorporated, it was renamed Plant City. Originally, it was a large cotton producer, but eventually the main crop was switched to strawberries, and is now recognized as the winter strawberry capital of the world, as three-quarters of the nation's midwinter strawberries come from here.
The town also boasts a historic downtown business district, its own municipal airport, a winery, a branch campus of Hillsborough Community College, and a huge 77 acre park with nine lighted baseball and softball fields for little league, through senior leagues. Picture of Plant City's city hall courtesy of Wikipedia and LALaker13; picture of Plant City High School (now the Community Center), courtesy of Wikipedia and Ebyabe; picture of the Strawberry Festival courtesy of Wikipedia and Cwolfsheep.
Where to Retire in Plant City and Home Prices
The median home value in Plant City was about $326,689 in early 2023, according to Zillow.
What Is Special about Plant City
Plant City is a mid-sized town surrounded by farm land, yet large cities like Orlando and Tampa are nearby. The town is home to a State Park, has a historical district with shops and restaurants, a popular farmers markets, and all the strawberries you can eat.
What Is Not Special about Plant City
Summers are hot and humid and the crime rate is above the national average.
Climate and Physical Environment
The average January temperature is 61 degrees, with July's average at 81 degrees. Plant City gets about 53 inches of rain annually, most of it occuring during the summer months.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
Plant City has many historic places on the National Register of Historic Places, along with parks, a winery, and a farmers market; the town celebrates several events and festivals including the Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Arts Festival, and the most famous of them all is the Florida Strawberry Festival, held each winter with parades, music, food, crafts, and a car show; the Edward Medard Park and Reservoir is a 1,284 acre preserve for sports, fishing and aquatic activities, and attracts over 500,000 visitors each year; Orlando and all of its attractions is just about an hour away.
Crime
The crime rate in Plant City is above the national average.
Medical Facilities
South Florida Baptist Hospital is located in Plant City.
Transportation
The city is served by Interstate 4; there is a local municipal airport for business and private planes, and the nearest large airport is in Tampa, 30 miles away.
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